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A witness who was just outside the Pennsylvania rally where a gunman apparently attempted to assassinate Donald Trump Saturday night said he tried to alert Secret Service agents to a rifle-wielding man he spotted “bear crawling” onto the roof of a nearby building before gunshots rang through the crowd.
“We’re pointing at the guy crawling up the roof,” the witness, identified only as Greg, told the BBC of the surreal moment. “We could clearly see him with a rifle.”
“I’m standing there pointing at him for two to three minutes,” he continued. “Secret Service is looking at us from the top of the barn, I’m pointing at the roof...and next thing you know, five shots rang out.”
Former president Trump was just minutes into his rally in Butler when around 10 popping sounds interrupted his speech, sending the crowd into chaos. The former president collapsed behind his podium, as red-capped supporters behind him screamed and tried to duck.
Secret Service agents immediately jumped onto the stage, hoisting up Trump, whose face was dripping with blood. He pumped his fist before agents helped him off stage and into his waiting motorcade.
Trump has since said he is “fine,” revealing in a graphic statement that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”
Follow our live blog for updates on the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he said.
The shooting left one spectator dead and another two critically injured. Law enforcement officials said that a Secret Service sniper killed the shooter, who was outside the security perimeter.
The shooting is being considered an assassination attempt, law enforcement said, and an investigation has been launched.
The FBI identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
The witness, who was wearing a red Trump 2024 visor, told the BBC that it was “absolutely” clear the shooter — who he said was clad in “muted colors,” like “tan, tight clothing” — was killed.
“Secret Service blew his head off,” Greg said. “They crawled up on the roof, they had their guns pointed at him to make sure he was dead, he was dead. And that’s it. It was over.”
Others have come forward to share their harrowing accounts of the chaos. Another witness, an emergency room doctor, recalled how he sprung into action to try to save a shooting victim in the crowd.
“I heard the shots. I thought it was crackers to begin with,” the doctor, who had blood stains on his T-shirt, told a CBS News reporter.
Someone had been screaming “he was shot, he was shot” so the doctor rushed over. The spectator had been shot in the head, and the doctor said he could see “brain matter.”
“The guy had spun around was jammed between the benches and a head shot here,” the doctor explained.
He then performed CPR and chest compressions on the man.
“I was the only one that did it,” he told CBS News. “There’s a helicopter coming in to get him.”
Boston Globe reporter James Pindell said he noticed early on that Secret Service agents were pointing rifles at a spot away from the crowd. But it wasn’t until Trump was six minutes into his speech that there was a “loud popping noise.”
“When I looked up, the same agents were shooting in the same direction their guns had been pointed all along. I knew they were shooting because I could see smoke from their guns,” he wrote. “I had a clear view of the stage, but at that moment, I was typing up what Trump was saying. When I looked at the podium again, the agents appeared to have Trump on the ground, protecting him. Then other agents were on the stage.”
He said the crowd was in total “shock,” with most crouching down as they tried to take cover.
“After Trump had been escorted to his car and people sensed the rally was over and they were safe, the crowd turned on the media,” Pindell said. “The crowd was angry. Middle fingers were everywhere. They asked the press if they were happy and blamed the media. ‘You did this,’ they said to reporters.”
This article has been updated
